


Indulge me

by AnaGP



Category: Captain America (Movies), Iron Man (Movies), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Greek Mythology, Alternate Universe - Mythology, Fate, Furies, M/M, Monsters, Slow Burn, Tony and Bucky - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-02-26
Updated: 2017-11-13
Packaged: 2018-09-27 03:47:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 8,745
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9955253
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AnaGP/pseuds/AnaGP
Summary: Anthony Edward Stark, Lord of the Underworld, was convinced he would never find a soulmate.Enter Sergeant James Buchanan Barnes.Maybe Tony should have stayed in the Underworld after all.





	1. Chapter 1

“Pep!” Tony whined, “Pepper, Pep, Pep! Pepper! Pep, darling, sweetheart, _doll_!”

“What now, Tony?” Pepper asked as she closed the book she was reading and sighed. She reached down and scratched Happy, the three headed hell-hound, behind the ears of his middle head.

“I’m bored.”

 “I noticed.”

“Give me something to do,” Tony grumbled.

“There’s nothing for you to do here, Tony, maybe you’d like to check up on Peggy and see how it’s going… _up there_.”

Tony stood and walked to the window of his underground palace, it overlooked the river of the dead and the training grounds of the Valkyries. He turned to look at Pepper and smiled.

“What’s the year again, Pep?”

“ _Tony_.”

“Indulge me, light of my immortal life.”

“It’s 1940, you know this, Tony.”

“Howard?”

“Is doing fine, stop worrying.”

“He’s always messing things up, Pep.”

She sighed and pulled at the energy around her to bring up a crystalline screen that would allow Tony to peek into the mortal world, where Howard was working on a new sniper rifle prototype.

“Hello, old man,” Tony said to the screen and Howard jumped before composing himself.

“What do you want, Tony?” Howard snapped.

“Just checking in on my favorite centaur. How’s the legwork treating you?”

“Would be better if I could stop hiding my true form.”

“You know mortals are not supposed to find out none of us exist, _dad_.”

Howard looked up from the prototype and stared directly at Tony, concern in his eyes, “Anthony,” he said, “what’s wrong?”

“Nothing!” Tony said, a little too quickly.

“Is it bothering you again?” Howard asked, pointing at Tony’s chest, or more specifically, at the hole in his chest.

Tony gave an imperceptible nod and Howard sighed. Tony had been just a small demon when it happened; his mother (a gorgeous angel with dark, warm eyes and a kind smile) had been attacked and killed by a titan welding a crystal blade and little Anthony had seen how she dissolved into white sand and been unable to do anything. His mother’s attacker had plunged the blade deep into his chest but a griffin, who had witnessed the whole thing, had swept down and brought him back to his father. Later he and the griffin, whose name was James Rhodes, became friends and by the time Tony was old enough to become Lord of the Underworld, they were sworn blood-brothers.

“You could come to the surface and spend some time with us here,” Howard suggested, “It might do you some good.”

Tony sighed, “Maybe… What does Peggy say?”

Tony could hear footsteps and then Peggy was standing right next to Howard. “I think it’s a marvelous idea, darling.”

“Besides, the Furies say it’s going to be an interesting chunk of time, Tony,” His father said casually, “Maybe this time you’ll meet your soulmate, kid.”

“Ha-fucking-ha,” Tony leant back against the window, “You say that every couple of centuries and it never happens.”

“Maybe this time it will, honey,” Peggy said.

“And maybe this century you will refrain from teaming up with Loki in your quest for entertainment,” Pepper added from her place on the couch.

“Listen to the Siren, boy,” Howard smiled at his son.

“ _Fine._ I’ll give it a shot.”

“Good.” Peggy nodded, “when should we expect you?”

Before Tony could answer the door of his living room opened and Clint, the elf, rushed in.

“You have to see this! It’s the Fates!” And with that, he was gone.

Tony turned back to the screen, where Howard and Peggy were giving him concerned looks, “I’ll be there soon,” he said to them, “ _Do not_ make any big decisions without me.” The screen dissolved back into energy, Pepper had stood and was offering him his official black robe (the one he used whenever he had to be the boss of the underworld and not just Tony), which Tony put on before leading the way to the pond where the Fates usually were.

“What’s going on?” The Lord of the Underworld asked as he approached the Fates, they were silent for once and the three of them held in their trembling fingers a very peculiar thread of destiny.  Half of it was completely black and the other half was so white it appeared to shine, the black and white dissolved into each other in the middle, it was beautiful. Tony stared at the thread, it was suddenly hard to breathe because there had only been _one_ black thread of destiny since the beginning of, well, everything, but it had always been too short, too damaged to function properly, and now, _now_ the thread appeared to have _entangled_ itself with this other _iridescent_ thread and _now_ Tony couldn’t move, couldn’t _breathe_.

“They found it this morning,” Natasha, the Valkyrie said, a smile evident in her voice, “I haven’t seen such a beautiful thread since…since when, Clint?”

“Perseus?” Clint said helpfully, and Natasha nodded.

Tony continued to stare so Pepper took charge.

“Bruce, go to the labyrinth and notify Rhodes.” Pepper said and the minotaur nodded and took off running. “Natasha, I need information on the current events of the mortal world.” The Siren turned to Clint, “Find Loki and Thor, bring them here, I don’t care how you do it.”

Tony waited until the two had gone and then asked the Fates, “Are you sure it’s not a mistake?”

One of them looked up at him and answered, “It is no mistake. The time has finally come.”

Another Fate spoke, “Your destiny beckons you, it is time.”

The Lord of the Underworld sighed, “That’s what I feared.” Behind him, he heard Bruce and Rhodey approaching, “What should I do now? _How_ will I find the owner of the white thread?”

The third Fate stood and approached Tony, she grasped his hand, kissed his cheek and smiled, “Good luck.”

\--

Later that same evening Pepper, Rhodey, and Tony stood in his living room.

“What will you do?” Rhodey asked.

“You can’t just go up there, it’s been centuries since you’ve been on the surface,” Pepper said, “A lot of things have changed.”

“We could make a few short visits, stay for a couple of days, see how it goes,” Rhodes suggested.

“What about the titans?” The Siren said, “They’ve been lurking around the last couple of decades, they might take advantage of this new information.”

“We’ll keep it a secret,” said the griffin.

“We can’t keep it a secret forever,” Pepper argued. “Tony, will you say something?!”

Tony, who was looking out the window, turned to Pepper. “You’re right, Pep, we can’t hide it forever. However, if _this is it_ , I have to go.” Pepper sighed.

“Well…” she said, “what’s our first move?”

“Jarvis,” Tony called and a raven flew into the room and came to rest on his shoulder, “tell Bruce to monitor the labyrinth, if there are any _strange_ near-death experiences I need to know about them.” Jarvis flew away and a knock on the door interrupted them, it was Natasha.

“What did you find?” Pepper asked.

“There’s going to be a war,” the Valkyrie said but before she could continue, an owl flew into the room with a parchment from Clint.

“News from Asgard,” Tony said as he read, “the Tesseract has been stolen.” There was silence as Tony wrote a note to the elf and sent it back with the owl. “Natasha,” he said and the Valkyrie stood at attention, “I will be gone for a few days with Pepper and Rhodes. You are in charge until I come back.” She nodded and Tony turned to his friends, he smiled, “Who wants to go shopping?”

\--

“I don’t know, Tony,” Pepper said as she put on a skirt, “I don’t think I can pass as a ‘dame’ here.” Tony and Rhodey snickered as they saw her trying to style her hair into something resembling victory rolls. “Laugh all you want, but in Ancient Greece, _I_ was a force to be reckoned with.”

Tony walked to her and kissed her cheek, “Oh, Pep, you are _always_ a force to be reckoned with.” She smiled.

Rhodey finished fiddling with his suspenders and gave her an encouraging smile, “You guys ready?”

“Let’s go find Howard,” Tony said.

\--

Finding Howard was easy to do. They found him in the backstage of some sort of fair and when his father saw him, Tony ended up being crushed to his chest in the most effusive bear-hug he’d ever been a part of (and he often rough-housed with Bruce so…).

“We’re just here to test the waters,” Tony had explained and Howard had clapped him on the back and told him to enjoy the fair and to come find him once the mortals were gone.

They were supposed to stay together ( _for protection,_ Pepper’s words) but Tony had felt the draw of a soul in pain and had left Pepper and Rhodey to investigate. He could see the thread of destiny of the suffering soul and he followed it to an abandoned alley, it belonged to a man in his mid-twenties who was lying on the ground. _Stab wound_ , thought Tony as he approached him, _he’s going to die soon._

Now, Tony was the Lord of the Underworld and just because he usually never did legwork it didn’t mean he had forgotten how to separate a soul from its mortal body. He knelt down next to the man and extended his black wings, by the time he stood the man’s body was cold.

A sharp intake of breath caught Tony’s attention, standing in the alley was the most beautiful man he’d ever seen; Tony could see an iridescent thread of destiny surrounding the man and his breath caught in his throat. _Had this mortal seen his wings?_ _No, it was not possible, he’d taken precautions before letting them unfold…_ The man opened his mouth as if to speak but a voice coming from the street called, “Bucky?” Another man, younger and smaller, appeared in Tony’s line of vision and when the dark haired man- _Bucky-_ turned, Tony took the opportunity and vanished.

“Buck?”

“I’m fine, Stevie,” Bucky took a step to the left and hid the corpse from view.

“You’re the one who wanted to see the flying car, jerk.”

“I’m coming, I’m coming,” He grumbled as he approached his friend. “Punk.”

Bucky looked back at the alley but there was nobody there. Huh, maybe he’d imagined it.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bucky needs a smoke.

It’s been only three weeks since Bucky’s arrived in Europe and he thinks he might be going insane. He’s chain-smoked his way through his tobacco ration and as many cigarettes as he can get from others (by begging, winning or stealing them). Well, he never said he was a _nice_ person. (But he still hopes to be a _good_ one when the war is over.) Bucky’s been lying in this ditch for the last eighteen hours, he’s cold, hungry and (worryingly) resigned. There’s dead men lying right next to him and a few feet away he can hear another soldier fighting to stay alive. He can’t move, can’t betray his position to the enemy, he can hear their boots sticking to the mud a few meters away. From the corner of his eye Bucky thinks he sees movement, someone leaning over the soldier’s body.

“Shh,” he hears someone say, “Jack, don’t be afraid.” Someone is talking to the dying soldier and Bucky shifts ever so slightly to get a look. There, kneeling in the mud in a brown plaid suit is a man. He looks familiar and a similar scene in an alley in New York before his deployment suddenly appears in Bucky’s mind, like an almost forgotten memory. “Close your eyes,” the man says and when Jack does, the man presses his hand to his bleeding chest. Jack takes a shaky breath and the man touches his cheek in a way that reminds Bucky of his own mother, of the way she used to comfort him when he had been a boy. “Jackie boy, let’s go.” The man’s voice is soft and Jack takes his last breath.

The man turns to look at Bucky and offers him a small smile. Bucky’s tongue feels heavy and even though he wants to speak, he can’t. Instead, Bucky nods at Jack’s lifeless body, as if in question. The man brings a finger to his lips and Bucky nods, even if he spoke of this incident nobody would believe him.

A few feet away, in the bushes, Pepper and Rhodey were keeping watch. Or attempting to because Rhodey kept getting annoyed at the insects; he’d changed back to his griffin form and periodically would swish his tail from side to side to keep the flies at bay.

“Stop that, Rhodey,” Pepper whispered, she was in her human form and crouching in between his front legs for warmth. The griffin let out a soft huff and rested his head on top of hers. She could hear the enemy soldiers on the right side of the clearing and she let out a soft hiss in annoyance. Rhodey gently touched her cheek with his beak and she burrowed closer to him.

Tony can hear the soldiers too, he’s still in the ditch with Bucky and he _knows_ that if he vanishes, they’ll kill Bucky without a second thought. _Decisions, decisions_ … If Loki were here- Hold on, that’s it! Tony places two fingers in his mouth and whistles; he abruptly stands. Bucky panics, he tries to reach him but the air is thickening and it’s dark all of a sudden, the sun completely obscured by dark clouds and the air, oh god, the air-it’s hard to breathe, it’s hard to breathe, there’s sand everywhere, like that time in Coney Island with Steve and the Cyclone and oh god Stevie, you can’t ride the Cyclone, Stevie, you’ll die, stop, no, **don’t** -

Bucky wakes up in a medical tent. He scrambles off the bed and stumbles away from a nurse.

“Sergeant Barnes,” the nurse says slowly, trying not to frighten him, “it’s alright, you’re safe.”

“I-“ Bucky tries to speak but his throat is dry and all he manages is a pained noise.

“It’s alright,” she says again and Bucky forces himself to nod even if he doesn’t feel fine at all, “you’re safe.”

It takes time but the nurse manages to make him sit so she can check his vitals. Bucky doesn’t answer any of her questions, he does not remember how he got there, he does not remember where he was before, he does not- But he does. He remembers the ditch and Jack, the man in the suit and then- then darkness.

Pepper tilts her head to the side as she observes Barnes. He’s been sitting in the tent all day, unmoving. She’s under the cover of the trees and the mortals don’t notice her presence but she can _feel_ them. Oh yes, she’s always been good at understanding mortals, especially men. Except for this one. _James Buchanan Barnes,_ she thinks, **_who_** _are you?_ The last man she had trouble understanding had not been Perseus, like Natasha thinks, no, it had been Achilles. Perseus might have had one of the most beautiful threads of destiny she’d ever seen but Achilles had been a true marvel. Achilles had been…refreshing, young and beautiful as heroes often are and with a heart full of misery and hope, _so much hope._ He’d been a little like Barnes, both with sorrows awaiting them in their future, both so strong and yet so prone to coming undone. _Ah,_ thinks Pepper, _we thought the last hero was gone. We were wrong._

She feels the air change and Rhodes walks up to her in his human form. He looks tired but he’s smiling.

“Where is he?” Pepper asks.

“Tony? He’s with Thor.” Rhodey leans against a tree and joins her in observing Barnes.

“Loki?”

“Off to antagonize Howard, I guess.”

“This is our second trip to the surface and Tony’s…restless,” Pepper sighs.

“It’s not good, I agree.”

“Bruce sent a message a few hours ago, there are rumors of titans abandoning their hiding places.”

“Come,” Rhodey gently touches Pepper’s arm and they start walking away, “Tony wants to see Howard before going back to the Underworld.”

In the tent Bucky tenses, a crow has landed just a few feet away from the makeshift bed and is staring at him intently. Bucky awkwardly half-waves at it and the crow tilts its head to the side so the soldier brings a finger up to his lips and nods. The crow makes a soft cawing noise and flies away. Bucky takes a deep breath. He needs a smoke.


	3. Chapter 3

“What do you think?” Howard asks Tony. They’re sitting behind a one-way screen watching Steve Rogers being interviewed by Peggy. He looks small but he exudes potential for greatness and if there is something Tony likes, it is potential.

“Not bad, not bad at all,” Tony nods.

“So this whole _thing_ ,” Loki says, amusement clear in his voice, “why do it? Why give him such power?”

“Ah, Lokes, don’t you see?” Tony asks and the Trickster huffs in annoyance.

“Explain it, then.”

“Steve _has_ potential,” Howard interjects.

Loki raises an eyebrow in question and says, “But this is not for _his_ benefit.”

“I knew you’d get it, Lo-lo,” Tony smiles and the Trickster rolls his eyes in fond amusement.

“ _Who_ is the catalyst then?” Loki asked and Tony smiled but didn’t answer.

“Shall I tell Peggy to proceed?” Howard asked.

“Yes,” said Tony, “Project Rebirth is go.”

Howard left the room and Loki placed his hand on Tony’s shoulder, “Natasha told us about the thread.” The Lord of the Underworld tenses but doesn’t speak, “I don’t know what you fear, Anthony, but you will not lose him.” Tony remained silent and the Trickster turned to leave.

“Loki,” Tony said, “the titans…they’ll figure it out at some point.”

“I know.”

“They’ll try to corrupt him.”

“I know.”

“I will not allow it.” _I will not lose him,_ he thinks.

“Victory or Valhalla, Anthony,” Loki says, “There is no other option.”

\--

Bucky doesn’t see _the man_ again that month.

Or the next.

Or the next.

Steve arrived one day to the camp accompanied by a Miss Carter and an engineer everyone calls Stark. Steve has gotten big and he doesn’t need Bucky anymore, doesn’t need protecting or caring for and when Bucky asks him to put on a jacket because it’s cold outside he looks at him like he’s crazy. Bucky forces himself to take a step back and stop meddling in Stevie’s life. It works. Steve likes his newfound freedom, his independence. (Something’s not quite right, though, Bucky knows.)

The first time Miss Carter sees him she smiles at him and winks and Bucky wonders if she maybe has something to do with the crow and _the man_ and then he tells himself he’s going insane. _Pull yourself together, Barnes._

Stark is an odd man and Bucky doesn’t quite trust him. Steve rolls his eyes and tells him that _Stark is a good man_ , _Buck_ despite his blatant disregard for authority. Barnes thinks Stark looks at him like he’s an unanswered question, but then again…maybe he is.

Three months after Steve’s arrival they have a fight.

“I’m just saying you need to be more careful, Stevie!”

“Buck, it’s fine, I’m fine! Just drop it, ok?”

“No, Steve! I know you’re all…big and powerful now but you’re not immortal, you can’t just barge in on an enemy base all alone with no backup, maybe-”

“I needed no backup!”

“Stevie, you’re my brother, I can’t-”

“Why are you being so difficult, Buck?”

“I’m just worried becau-”

“Just drop it.” Steve’s angry and he starts to walk away and Bucky follows him.

“Steve, listen-” Bucky reaches out to him but before he can finish the sentence he finds himself on his knees in the mud, his nose is bleeding and his jaw is throbbing and Steve is towering over him.

“Oh god, Buck.” Steve kneels next to him but Bucky flinches and he doesn’t dare touch him. “I’m so, so sorry!”

“What’s happening here?” Peggy Carter is frowning at them a couple of feet away.

“I- I’m sorry, I didn’t-” Steve stammers and Peggy sighs. _Typical hero temper,_ she thinks.

“It’s fine,” Bucky mumbles, there’s blood dripping on the ground but he manages to stand. “You’re not used to your new strength, Steve, it’s fine.” Bucky starts walking away and Steve tries to follow. “Please, Steve, not now.”

“He’ll be fine,” Peggy says after Barnes is gone. She’s as sure of that as she is that the Sun will rise again tomorrow. Some heroes are like Steve, she knows, all strength and strategic mind, easy to ignite temper and beautiful eyes. Others, however, are like Bucky, their power asleep until it comes alive in vibrant waves of fearlessness under daunting circumstances, alight with fire and flames and tears, _so many tears_. Heroes like Bucky are often torn to pieces, often broken but _never_  destroyed. That’s what makes them dangerous. Heroes like Bucky don’t have breaking points, they reach a state in which their only option is to _push forward_ and they often accomplish tasks not even the gods are strong enough to undertake. She knows this because she’s seen it, years and years and years ago, a damaged black thread of destiny the only evidence it happened.

“I’m not…used to my new strength.”

“You’ll learn to control it.”

“Yes,” Steve attempts a smile, Peggy excuses herself and goes to find Howard. Hopefully, the centaur will find an appropriate way to tell Tony someone decked his soulmate.

As it happens, there is no appropriate way to tell the Lord of the Underworld that someone broke his soulmate’s nose. Tony locks himself in his chambers and Happy spends three hours crying outside the door and pawing at it in an attempt to open it before Pepper comes and takes him away. Rhodes, as always, is illuminating; he brings Loki with him and they sit outside the locked door playing cards and teasing each other until Tony comes out and tells them _for the tenth time to keep it down!_ After that, it’s easy to convince Tony to take a quick trip to the surface with them.

“Maybe this time you’ll actually get to talk to your… _beloved_ ,” Loki says, as nonchalant as always.

“I need to figure out a way to track down the titans, I can’t waste my time up there,” Tony says, annoyed.

“You could use a break, Tones,” says the griffin, “and Loki’s right, you could check up on Bucky.” Tony glares at him and tries to pretend he wasn’t going mad with worry at Howard’s tale of how Steve attacked _Tony’s soulmate._ “Come on, Tones, just a quick visit.”

“We leave in three days,” Tony gives in.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bucky stiffened at the noise. Tony’s eyes widened as he realized his mistake.   
> “Is that…you?”

Tony doesn’t like sitting around doing nothing. Pepper says it has to do with his nature, with the fact that he is the Lord of the Underworld. Rhodey says it has to do with the fact that Tony’s an annoying little shit who spent the majority of his teenage years pestering Howard and setting fire to various irreplaceable objects of the Underworld.

“Howard!” Tony’s voice cuts through the noise of welding torches; Howard’s been busy outfitting Steve for the war.

The centaur puts down the equipment and smiles at Tony. “Son. I was wondering when you would show up.” They share an awkward hug and Tony leans back against the wall and watches his father work. “Did Pepper tell you?”

“Of your golden boy’s stunt?” Tony rolled his eyes. “Sure did.”

“You know how heroes are.”

“Oh, I do.” The problem is that Tony _does_ know. He’s witnessed heroes crashing and burning time and time and time _and time again_. Odysseus, Hercules, Icarus, Theseus and Jason, to name a few. Tony’s been there to welcome them to the Underworld and escorted a few of them personally to the gates of Valhalla. He witnessed Oedipus’ fall from grace and gave Beowulf the strength to endure the last moments of his mortal life. He _knows_ heroes in the broadest sense of the word, he knows their nature and, most of all, he knows their potential. That knowledge, however, is not enough to dissipate his anger because no matter how hard he tries he cannot absolve (in a manner of speaking, of course) them from their proverbial sins (however forgivable they might be) because, in Tony’s not-so-humble opinion, heroes like tempting fate way too much.

“Howard?” Steve’s voice ( _of fucking course)_ reached them and Tony let out a soft huff of indignation before stepping into the shadows and effectively becoming one with them ( _the perks of being the Lord of the Underworld)_.

“In here, Steve,” Howard said as he finished transforming into his human form. A couple of seconds later, Steve appeared in the doorway. “What can I help you with?”

“I…um…” Steve ran a hand through his cropped hair. “Buck and I are going to get a beer in town. Care to join us?” Howard’s eyes flicked to the shadows where Tony was hidden, a pair of honey coloured eyes bright against the darkness.

“Sure,” Howard said, “let’s go.”

Tony did not particularly enjoy following Howard and Steve. The bar they went into smelled of stale beer and sweat and Tony remembered a place much like this one in the ancient city of Pompeii, where a young Perseus ( _had it been Perseus, though?_ Tony couldn’t be sure, it had been a long time ago and he had still been very much unwilling to remain in the Underworld for more than a month at a time, which lead to multiple attempts at drunk groping in darkened halls with beautiful, young heroes who would turn to ashes much too soon…) had pressed him against a wall and marred the tender skin on his neck for all the world to see.

“Buck!” Steve called and Bucky smiled in their general direction. Tony’s breath caught in his throat. _For Odin’s beard, this man is beautiful._ As Steve and Howard made their way to Barnes; Tony took a moment to appreciate his soulmate, the muscles of his shoulders, the elegant curve of his jaw- **_the black eye._** Tony had almost forgotten about Steve’s loss of control but now that he was seeing its aftermath, he felt rage pulsating under his skin. _How dare this pathetic excuse of a hero touch what was his!_ Tony let out a low growl, he was still concealed by shadows but Howard spared a glance towards the corner where Tony was standing.

“Is this some form of courting I am unaware of?” Loki’s voice was soft and Tony was proud of himself for not jumping at the suddenness of it.

“I have yet to approach him,” Tony answered.

“Do you not _desire_ him?” Loki’s voice was a purr and Tony felt a strange tingling sensation on his lower back. The Trickster leant in and licked the shell of his ear. “You never showed the same restraint with me.”

“You were perfectly capable of looking after yourself,” Tony huffed and ran a hand through his hair. Loki rolled his eyes and pulled away from Tony, he leant back against the wall and continued to observe the mortals.  

“No dames this evening, Sergeant?” Howard asked.

“Not tonight, I’m afraid,” Bucky muttered as he downed another pint of beer. Steve was at the counter, ordering another round. “I should go…”

“Buck,” Steve said and clapped a hand on his best friend’s shoulder just as he was standing, “where are you going?”

“I’m tired, Stevie,” Barnes said and pulled a crumpled bill from his pocket, he handed it to Steve, “I’m going back.”

“Buck-”

“Let him go, Steve,” Howard said and Steve sat back down as Bucky made his way to the door.

“He’s been like that since our fight…” And whatever else Steve might have said was lost to Tony as he followed his soulmate out the door.

Bucky walked with his hands in his pockets and nod at a few soldiers as he passed them by. Tony followed him closely, Loki had disappeared a few streets back. They eventually reached the camp and Bucky stalked to his tent and went inside; without preamble, he began to undress and Tony, who had come to a standstill at the opening of the tent, couldn’t do anything but stare in awe at this man who destiny deemed perfect to be by his side forever. Bucky was standing shirtless with his back to him and Tony let out a pained whine at the unmarred skin of his soulmate’s back. He knew, logically, that as a hero, Bucky was going to be marked by his battles but that didn’t stop him from wishing he could spare him the pain all mortals endured in their path to Valhalla.

Bucky stiffened at the noise. Tony’s eyes widened as he realized his mistake.

“Is that… _you_?” Bucky’s voice was low but he didn’t turn around. Tony’s shoulders were tense, _of course_ Bucky would remember him.

“Yes,” Tony whispered but before Bucky could turn and see him, he was gone.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “The point is, Tony, that your bad feelings always lead to catastrophes.”

Loki is pondering on the best way to help Tony overcome his fears of getting near Barnes. So far he’s got nothing, _and isn’t that troubling?_ Loki is a deity in his own right and does not deem it necessary to ‘hang out’ (as Tony puts it) with the _lesser_ creatures of the Underworld, which is why it is so very, very baffling to see him strolling into Tony’s palace to speak to Pepper.   

“Loki,” Pepper says, sounding surprised, “Tony is in the labyrinth with Bruce.”

“I did not come to speak to the Lord of the Underworld.”

“Oh.” Pepper looks confused but does not speak, preferring to wait until the God of Chaos explains his motivations further.

“I will have a word with you.” Loki sees the surprise in her features before she is able to conceal it and he feels pleased with himself.

“Of course.”

Loki sits down on the big chair in the living room. “Anthony fears the titans will harm his mate.”

“Yes.”

“I will fight alongside him if it comes to it.” Loki’s voice is clear and powerful, his eyes are bright and Pepper can see the magic burning underneath his skin.

“We all will,” Pepper answers.

Loki nods. “In the meantime, you would do well to ensure the mortal remains in one piece.”

“Is that…metaphorical?” Pepper asks carefully, it wouldn’t be the first time the Silvertongue’s words were not taken seriously and she was not going to take that risk with Tony’s mate.

“No.” Loki’s voice is hard and cold. “It is not.”

\--

“Buck?” Steve says, “I- we have a mission.”

Barnes steps on the butt of his cigarette. “When?”

“Tonight. It should be fairly simple, we are boarding a freight train and infiltrating a base in order to free some soldiers.”

“I’ll go get ready. I’ll see you in an hour, punk.”

“Alright, you jerk,” Steve said fondly.

\--

“Tony stop doing that, you’re getting the spirits riled up,” Bruce said.

“Sorry, sorry…” Tony stopped pacing and sat down, the spirits of the labyrinth settled down around him, “I just have a bad feeling.”

“About what?” Bruce was busy mapping out new paths for the labyrinth.

“I…don’t know.”

“Tony.” Bruce sat down next to his friend. “The last time you had a bad feeling, Achilles went on a rampage and Troy fell.”

“I know.” Tony sighed and bent down to pick up Happy, who was chewing on Tony’s tunic sleeve with his middle head.

“And I remember another time you had a bad feeling and a month later Beowulf appeared in this very labyrinth on his way to Valhalla.”

“I know.”

“And, of course, that time Ragnar Lothbrok finally had to put down the sword.”

“Bruce-”

“And let’s not forget about Aeneas.”

“Is there a point to all this or are you just going to give me a history lesson?”

“The point is, Tony, that your bad feelings always lead to catastrophes.”

“Not _always_.” Tony stood and began walking back to the palace, “Nice chat, Brucie-bear.”

“Be careful, Tones.”

\--

Sometimes Rhodey wishes Tony had been born a mortal. If he’d been a mortal, he wouldn’t have to deal with heroes and monsters. If Tony had been a mortal, he could have had the choice of living a simple life away from Tartarus and Valhalla.

Rhodey is standing near the window in his half-form, his wings tucked around himself as he preens the feathers. From up there he can see the labyrinth and it doesn’t surprise him to see Tony trekking back to the palace with a frown on his face. Jarvis, as always, is following Tony, but he is lacking his usual grace and that can only mean he is worried about him.

Rhodey hears Pepper’s sure steps before he sees her, she enters the room in a flurry, all deathly grace and powerful strides, and comes to stand by him.

“What did Loki say?” The griffin asks.

 “He said to keep Barnes whole.” She answers, “Literally and metaphorically.”

“Should be fairly easy to do.” Rhodey extends a wing and Pepper runs her fingers over the soft feathers. “Thor has been working on stalling any mission plans Rogers might have.” The griffin extends the other wing and then finishes his transformation into human form.

“I’d rest easier knowing it was Loki managing such a delicate endeavor.”

“Howard is there too; he won’t let Barnes come to harm.”

Rhodey watches Tony cross the gates and approach the palace. “Maybe one of us should go to the surface. Just in case.”

\--

The night is cold and Bucky feels the wind seeping in through the seams of his jacket. The train is fast approaching and Bucky jumps. He feels the adrenaline kick in just as he lands on the roof of the third wagon. Steve is a few feet ahead of him, already sliding inside through a window. Bucky, as always, follows him blindly.

“Captain Rogers,” a voice says from the shadows and Bucky’s hold on his rifle tightens, “so good of you to join us.”

_Shit. It was not supposed to be like this._

“Who are you?” Steve asks. Bucky’s eyes are keen and he catches a glint of the man’s rifle just seconds before he shoots, he pushes Steve out of the way.

_Pain._

“Shit,” Barnes curses, he can feel the warm wetness spreading through his stomach. A second shot rings out, and a third.

“Bucky!”

Steve is yelling, shooting and throwing his shield, but all Bucky can hear is _someone else_. All he hears, all he sees, is _someone else;_ someone dressed up in a plaid suit kneeling in front of a dying soldier in a muddy ditch. Bucky feels his knees give out but Steve is too far away to reach him; another shot rings out and he’s stumbling to the open door of the wagon.

“Bucky!” But it’s not Steve who is screaming, the voice is strange and familiar at the same time. The train swerves and Bucky’s thrown out of the wagon and into the abyss.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony prepares to look for Barnes.

Tony jerks awake with a scream. He’s in bed in his palace in the Underworld and the room is dark, his back and left arm are throbbing with pain and he can hear an ear shattering scream echoing in the corners of his consciousness. He scrambles off the bed and sprints past Happy, who stands and follows him to the door. Jarvis lands softly on Happy’s back and they both tail the Lord of the Underworld as he sprints past various doors in the corridor, knocking on them and waking people from their beds.

Pepper is the first one to appear in the living room, followed closely by Rhodey. Natasha, Bruce, and Clint follow at a more subdued pace.

Before anyone can speak, the doors slam open and Loki strolls in. He’s angry and Rhodey feels a chill go down his spine as the Norse deity approaches Tony. The griffin fears a fight between the two gods, it wouldn’t be the first time it happened, but instead of a fight, the taller god approaches Tony and speaks quietly in Old Norse. The Lord of the Underworld nods, solemnly, and Loki’s lips part in a smile known all too well by those stupid enough to incur on the Trickster’s wrath; Loki is angry and pleased to be so.

“You, you and you!” Loki barks at Natasha, Clint, and Bruce, “with me.” The three look at Tony and when he nods, they follow Loki out of the room.

“Call Carter,” Tony says, tiredly, “Tell her I need her here, she’ll be in charge until we come back.”

“Where are we going?” Pepper asks, although she already knows the answer.

“We’re going to get Barnes back.” Tony says and rubs a hand over his eyes, “and if anyone, and I mean _anyone,_ stands in our way, we will _end_ them.” 

\--

Barnes has been babbling incoherent words and sentences since they pulled him out of the snow. Hydra is frustrated but they won’t give up on him, not yet.

“What’s this?” Pierce says, kicking at Barnes, who is on the floor, trembling with fever and soaked in his own sweat. His left arm is gone and the bandages wrapped around the appendage are tinged with red.

“He’s been like that for two days now,” one of the scientists says, “I don’t think he’ll survive the experiment.”

“Then you better hope he does or _you_ will be next!” Pierce kicks at Barnes as he leaves the room.

“Perseus was the hero…the hero…the hero…” Barnes kept on repeating the same phrase over and over and over again, “Achilles then…he said…he said…when he died…when he died…Patroclus….he said…he…Patroclus died before…and…he was…he was…”

“Fucking useless,” the scientist muttered as he injected a dose of serum to Barnes.

\--

“Laufeyson!” Peggy Carter exclaims when she sees the god. He’s kneeling on the grounds outside the palace and studying a chart. He stands and nods his acknowledgment. “What have you found?”

“I believe it is the titans’ work,” he answers and shows her the chart, “what I cannot work out is their location.”

“Has Prometheus been informed?” The red-headed asks.

“Not as of yet, though I have sent the archer with a message.” He scribbles down a few notes on a separate piece of paper and sighs, “I have summoned my brother too. I don’t think this will be a battle easily won.”

“Mayhap it is time to ask the heroes of old for help.”

“I am reluctant to disturb them but if Barnes is not found, we might need their aid.”

\--

“Where is that golden boy of yours?!” Tony yelled as he stormed into his father’s makeshift lab. “I will have words with him!”

“Anthony,” Howard said, startled.

“You!” Tony pointed at Steve, who was standing to Howard’s left, “it was you!”

“Anthony, perhaps-” Howard began but a look at his son’s face shut him up.

“Who are you?” Steve asks, a challenge in his voice. “You can’t just barge in like that!”

“I can and I _will_ do as I bloody well please!” Tony answered as he stalked closer to Steve, “now tell me, _hero,_ where is James Buchanan Barnes?”

“What?! H-how do you know that name?” Steve is tense and Howard can see Tony’s energy coiling around him, ready to strike the blond at the slightest provocation. Thankfully, Tony takes a step back and beckons Rhodey closer, the griffin places the suitcase he’s been carrying on the table and Howard steps forward to open it. Steve is still sputtering some nonsense or other, Tony can’t be sure because he’s not paying attention to him, he’s completely focused on Howard’s expression as he opens the suitcase.

“ _Heavens,_ ” Howard whispers as he sees the familiar golden chest-plate, perfectly cared for.

Steve has gone silent and he is, too, staring at the contents of the suitcase, he finally asks, “What is that?”

“This,” Howard’s hands shake as they gently trace the metal, “is Achilles’ armor.”


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Heroes don’t exist!”
> 
> “And yet you call yourself a hero.”
> 
> “It’s-it’s different, I’m real, I’m here in the flesh.”
> 
> “Who is to say they weren’t?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My lovelies,  
> This story IS NOT abandoned and will be updated as often as I am able.  
> Thank you for your support and understanding.

"Let me put this in a way you will understand, Prometheus," Loki spoke his name like it was a dirty word and the titan rolled his eyes; he'd known the Trickster for millennia but that did not make it easy to get along. "I am not the scariest monster amongst Anthony's allies. Achilles won't hesitate to plunge a blade through your bowels if you even think of betraying Anthony."

"That's rich, coming from you."

Prometheus hit the ground with a grunt, Loki stood over him. "I will not tolerate derision." Loki knelt with his knee on Prometheus' leather clad chest. "Understood?" Before the titan could respond, the Trickster gracefully stood. Prometheus stood as well and left.

"As charming as ever, Loki." A voice said from behind him, the voice resonating on the empty labyrinth. Loki spun to find Carter smiling at him. "But then again, you were never one of the merciful gods."

"Of course not," he answered.

Carter shook her head but didn't say anything. Of course, Loki was merciful, if he weren't, he would not have sprung into action at the mere mention of someone hurting Tony's soulmate. Then again...the Norse deities had always been a bit of a mystery to...well, everyone. They made it a point to interfere as little as possible in the affairs of mortals and stayed away from anyone who did not participate in their sacred rituals. How Tony had ever managed to get in Loki's good graces would forever be a mystery to her. There were rumors, of course, of Loki and Tony having had an affair a few hundred years ago, but no one had managed to prove it. Tony, for all his boisterous exterior, was a very private man and had never commented on the rumors. Loki, for his part, had licked his lips and donned a dangerous smile that silenced anything else that could be said of the matter.

“Will you call on them? The heroes?”

“Not yet,” the Trickster shook his head. “Let us find my brother, I am sure he is being of no help whatsoever and I will not have that.”

“Of course not,” she replied, a small mocking smile made her way to her lips, Loki returned it.

\--

“I don’t understand,” Steve said.

“You-” Tony pressed his index finger to Steve’s chest. “-you will not speak. You have done enough damage, _boy._ ”

“I am not a boy!” Steve went to take a step forward but was forced to retreat when Rhodes stood in his path.

“Now is _not_ the time,” Rhodes said, his voice carrying a finality to it that chilled Steve to the bone.

“Howard.” Tony broke the silence. “What are Barnes’ last coordinates?” The centaur passed Tony a sheet of paper, which he quickly looked over. “Got it. Come, Honeybear, we have a train to catch.” Rhodes closed the suitcase containing Achilles’ treasure and went after him.

“Hey!” Steve yelled as attempted to go after them only to be stopped by Howard’s hand on his wrist. “Where do you think you’re going?”

 “It’s none of your goddamn business,” Tony spat back, venom in his words. “Stay here and train. Maybe if you learn to control your temper you will become less of a liability.”

The door closed behind them and Howard sighed, he let go of Steve’s hand and uncapped a bottle of vodka, pouring it into two glasses, he offered one to Steve but when he declined, Howard shrugged and downed both glasses.

“You’re just going to let him go?”

“What else do you want me to do? He knows what he’s doing and how far he can push before he breaks.”

“Bucky-”

“Sergeant Barnes’s fate could not be in more capable hands.”

“That’s another thing! All this talk about fate and heroes and _destiny_! And- and that armor, it’s not a regular thing but it can’t be Achilles’ armor!”

Howard studied Steve for a long moment and then asked, “And why couldn’t it?”

“Because Achilles is not real!” Steve roared. “Heroes don’t exist!”

“And yet you call yourself a hero.”

“It’s-it’s different, _I’m_ real, I’m here in the flesh.”

“Who is to say they weren’t?”

“You can’t really believe that! Anthony- he’s _insane!_ ”

“I would tread very, _very_ carefully, Rogers. You’re walking on thin ice as it is, _do not_ test me.”

Steve huffed but relented, he leant back against the desk.

\--

Bucky woke with a scream. Not his, no, but a scream that he somehow identified as his, even if it wasn’t coming from his own breast. Alright, so maybe Bucky _was_ closer to losing his mind than he had originally thought. _Fucking hell._ He tried to roll off the bed but found that he was tied down to it and wasn’t that worrisome. His cell was quiet, the whole…base was quiet and yet he could hear _someone_ screaming his name in the privacy of his own head. _Fucking hell, I’m going insane._ It wasn’t the first time it happened, he’d been waking up in a panic listening to that scream for a few…days, weeks? The first time he woke up to find himself tied to a metal table and missing an arm…yeah, that-that had been a little bit more than-well, he’d rather not think about it.

And the weird dreams were not helping. _If they are dreams, anyway._ For all, he knew he could be already far too gone in his own head to ever be alright again. He’d been having the most vivid dreams. Dreams of spirits and heroes of old, of sea monsters and centaurs, of griffins and…and underground palaces filled to the brim with elves and, of all things, Norse deities.

And yet…he welcomed those dreams. Maybe because when he was having them, it meant he was away from his cold cell and closer to freedom. He’d be lying if he said he wasn’t looking forward to the dreams every time he closed his eyes. Seeing Achilles and Perseus, all the heroes from the old stories, seeing them in his dream, speaking to him, giving him strength… He was completely insane, wasn’t he? Bucky groaned and closed his eyes again, letting the whispered voices from his dreams pull him to the darkness of sleep.  


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “We must all submit to some higher power, sugarplum.”
> 
> A pause. “But not you,” Rhodes stood and went to stand by the cave entrance.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My lovelies,  
> As I said before, this fic is NOT abandoned. Please enjoy this chapter and have a great day.  
> Through hardships to the stars, my lovelies.

Tony was not a merciful god when his enemies threatened something that he identified as _his_. Perhaps one day the mortals would understand it, but Rhodey sincerely doubts it because so far they haven’t and they _never_ seem to learn.

Once upon a time someone had abducted Pepper. A foolish king had taken her and hid her and the black plague came as a result. Pepper had been back safely in Tony’s palace while the plague continued on and Rhodey had begged Tony to end it. “No,” Tony had said as he gently opened the door to Pepper’s chambers, she was lying on the bed, bloody and bruised from her encounter with the mortal king and it was then that Rhodey knew Tony would let the plague run loose for a long time yet. It was only after Pepper’s whip marks were fully healed that Tony’s anger subsided and the plague died.

Tony had not hesitated to tear the world apart to find him when Rhodes went missing as well, the fiery eruption of countless volcanoes told the story of his fury as he looked for his best friend. And this is why now Rhodes is concerned ( _extremely concerned)_ because Tony’s fury has not been unleashed, there has not been any ‘disasters’ that could be attributed to him (the pain and desolation in the world was all the mortals’ doing, at least this time) and he looked…eerily calm, much too calm to be the man who has just lost his soulmate.

Rhodey had wrote to Loki, a long letter with elaborate descriptions of his fears for Tony’s wellbeing. And Loki’s answer had, of course, aggravated his fears: ‘The time will come for him to unleash his fury. The chariots of doom are prepared, and the fires lit. He will have blood flowing in the streets and the payment for his suffering will be in flesh.’ Well, let it not be said that Loki did not promise an exciting future.

Rhodes himself had never been inclined towards violence. He was a griffin, and he had deep impulses to protect those he held dear but he had never been on the same level as others when it came to drawing blood but after reading Loki’s letter, after having his fears confirmed by none other than the God of Chaos, he realized that the time for peace was gone. Maybe in a hundred years the time for peace would return, but now was the time for heroes. 

They had tracked down Barnes with Tony’s magic; not many could hide from the Lord of Death. Barnes was being kept in a bunker of sorts, much too guarded to approach unseen but not as guarded as Rhodey had expected it to be, which was disconcerting. While some strategic points were swarming with guards, the main gate was surprisingly void of them. It was the Trojan War all over again… At that time, they’d had Howard, who managed to convince Tony to stay away from the fray- heavens only know what would have happened if the Lord of Death went on to fight mighty Hector.

“Riddle me this, platypus,” Tony’s soft whisper broke the quiet in the cave. “Why would they not assign any more guards for the main door?”

“Tony, don’t do this.” Rhodey sighed.

“Indulge me, old friend.”

“Fine.” The griffin gave a grunt as he adjusted to his half-shifted form. “They’re luring you in. If the titans are behind this, it is obviously a trap.”

“A trap,” Tony echoed.

“And you would be very, _very_ stupid to walk right into it.”

“Or very brave.”

“ _Tony…_ ”

“Hercules knew what he was getting into when he went on his quest.”

“Correction: he knew that where he was going _might_ be dangerous.”

“He went anyway.”

“Tell me a story where the hero doesn’t go where Fate desires and I might be more enthusiastic about this whole affair, Tones.”

“We must all submit to some higher power, sugarplum.”

A pause. “But not you,” Rhodes stood and went to stand by the cave entrance. “You’ve never been inclined to bend to the whims of others.” The darkness shifted as Tony summoned light to surround them. “And you’re not going to start now, are you?”

The Lord of Death laughed. “How long have you known me?”

\--

The screams woke him up. He felt rough hands pull him to his feet and he stumbled a few steps before being thrown on a chair. They forced a mouth guard between his teeth and the doctors spat at him and each other in a foreign tongue. Bucky closed his eyes, trying to remember the man in the plaid suit kneeling next to Jack in the trenches. He took a deep breath, remembering the man with black wings in a back-alley in Brooklyn.

The pain was blinding, white and all-encompassing. His head was full of images, broken and pieced back together by sheer force of will. He couldn’t let them win-wouldn’t- if they won, many…many _important_ things would be lost. Bucky didn’t know how he knew this but he did, he could feel it in his bones, this need, this _desperation_ to remain whole, come what may.

James Barnes, a voice in his head said, we know you. _Who are you?_ If you lose this battle, the war is lost, the voice repeated. _Who are you?_

Bucky opened his eyes, forcing the voice in his head into silence as he tried to endure the pain from the chair. He kept thinking of the man in the suit, of black wings and the raven that seemed to look right into his very soul.

 _I’m going insane, aren’t I?_ Bucky thought, and then, softly, like a whisper, a voice he knew to belong to the man with the black wings resonated in his bones. _Per aspera ad astra*, James._

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Per aspera ad astra is a latin phrase meaning 'through hardships to the stars.'

**Author's Note:**

> I promised myself I would finish Stranger Things before starting a new fanfiction that was longer than a one-shot. But then this happened and I couldn't help myself.  
> Anyway, please enjoy, lovelies.


End file.
